Publication Date:
2021-05-19
Description:
It is said that, in the early years of the Meiji, the first Chief Hydrographer, Narayoshi Yanagi, in an effort to
manage the hydrographic services well in Japan, established a policy that any and all hydrographic
services should, under the spirit of seamanship, aim for improvement and progress through our own
selection and use of overseas academic knowledge, and not through enlisting foreign personnel. But, as a
matter of fact, a British advisor, Mortimer O’Sullivan, was hired by the Hydrographic Office in 1874. This
can be confirmed by historical documents that are open to the public at the website for the Japan Centers
for Asian Historical Records, National Archives of Japan.
O’Sullivan is described in the “Suiro-bu Enkaku-shi (the 2nd-18th year of the Meiji era)” published in 1916,
which reports the hydrographic activities of Japan in the first half of the Meiji era. But, he is not mentioned
in the “Nihon Suiro-shi”. Published in 1971, this document describes the history of the Japanese
Hydrographic Office for the 100 years since its foundation. In the years leading up to World War II, the
backlash against the USA and UK grew and the policy that the hydrographic services were established
without foreign advisors became further entrenched. I assume that the editor of “Nihon Suiro-shi”
refrained from describing the foreign adviser hired by the Hydrographic Office in an effort to remain
compliant with this highly valued policy.
Description:
Published
Repository Name:
AquaDocs
Type:
Journal Contribution
,
Refereed
Format:
pp.1-10
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